Doing Things the Potter Way
by 8Ki8
Summary: Harry had grown up in the mundane world, he knew much about it. And magic isn't the fastest thing in the universe. This is my take on how things might have gone if Harry had broadened his mind to outside the Magical World and search for an answer outside the box.


Harry lay in Hagrid's arms, unmoving. He took long shallow breaths to lower his heart rate and to decrease the chance of being caught as he listened to what was going on around him. The Dark Lord and his pitiful followers were marching through the gloominess of the Forbidden Forest towards the ruins that once made up the majestic school. It was clear from their posture and way of walking that they were trying to imitate the Dark Lord's silent, glide-like way of moving. In reality however, they were crashing through the undergrowth looking as though they were attempting to do ballet. And failing epically. Which didn't quite produce the fearsome, intimidating persona they were aiming for.

Harry laid there, hearing the taunts the Death Eater's would only dare throw at him now he was confirmed as dead.

'Pathetic!'

'Mudblood lover!'

'You call yourself a Wizard?! You're NOTHING!'

'Half-blood filth!'

'Leave 'im alone ya bastards. He's...' Hagrid choked. 'Was a good lad. The bravest. Don' say nuthin' bad 'bout 'im!' He said furiously, defending his "departed" friend, unwilling to let them smear Harry's good name. Not that Harry really cared about what an intelligence-deprived Death Eater had to say about him. Cowards! The lot of them, hiding behind a misplaced sense of superiority. It didn't matter now though, the Dark Lord was finished. He had just played right into Harry's hands and his end was imminent. After all, the Dark Lord was mortal now all his horcrux's had been destroyed and Harry had sacrificed himself, not that the Dark Lord knew; he wasn't human enough anymore to even feel when a part of his soul was destroyed. All the better for Harry.

Dumbledore had come completely clean after Sirius' death in Harry's 5th Year. He'd told Harry everything, even the parts he felt Harry shouldn't have to be burdened with, but he told Harry because he'd made the mistake of keeping his cards too close to his chest before, and he wasn't about to make the same mistake. So Dumbledore and Harry had spent the summer and 6th Year preparing for the war and learning where all the Dark Lord's horcrux's were in preparation for their destruction. With Hermione and Ron's help, they'd theoretically found all of them and planned for the War ahead with Dumbledore telling them about the Dark Lord's horcrux inside Harry and the sacrifice he would need to do but should emerge unscathed from.

Luckily they managed to find the information before Dumbledore's death at the end of 6th Year. His death had hurt a lot, but Harry had already mourned and prepared for what should have been his 7th and final year at Hogwarts, confident that Harry knew what he was doing. And he did, Harry spent the year hiding from the public and destroying the Dark Lord's horcrux's with the Order's help. To get the last one, they'd rushed to Hogwarts to destroy it, the wards around the area alerting the Dark Lord to their presence at the same time. After destroying Ravenclaw's diadem, Ron and Hermione took command over the Battle of Hogwarts whilst Harry headed deep into the Forbidden Forest to sacrifice himself and fulfil his destiny.

Which lead him to where he was now. Harry was snapped out of his musings by the junior Death Eaters turning on his friend and protector.

'Shut up you stupid half-breed!' If Harry wasn't so pissed at the fact they were insulting Hagrid, he would have laughed at the predictable and ridiculous insult.

'Fucking idiot.' Oh, it seemed one of the Death Eaters had a small amount of creativity and the ability to stray from the norm.

'Enough.' Came the Dark Lord's cold, high voice. The sort that just drips with honeyed venom and cruel words; just the sound of it had Harry desperately trying to repress a shudder. At the Dark Lord's command, the rally of Death Eaters came to a stop and Harry knew they had arrived at the castle. Everything was silent, broken only by the coughs and whimpers of the wounded and dying. The tension was so thick in the air that Harry could barely breathe with the weight pushing down on his chest, crushing him.

'Harry Potter...The-Boy-Who-_Lived_...Your, Hero.' The words oozed from the Dark Lord's mouth like sweetened treacle and Harry could taste the fear permeating from the Army of Light who was looking on in horror. 'Killed trying to escape' Harry could sense the glee hidden in his voice as he wove his lie. 'Fleeing, to save himself whilst you lay down your lives for him.'

No one moved; none believed him, but the Dark Lord's words made the already apparent fear thicken and seem greater. Which was not helped by the fact the Dark lord was clearly enjoying himself, if the underlying pleasure in his words was anything to go by.

'If you surrender now, you shall be spared in the dawn of this New Age.' He proclaimed. Everyone stood still as Harry slowly began to inch his hand down to a secured pocket strapped to his calf. 'No one?' The Dark Lord seemed disappointed at this. Harry continued to reach down to the pocket as he heard the unmistakable shuffling of someone dragging themselves closer. There was tittering among the Death Eaters, so clearly this person coming forward was nothing special, reasonably injured or both. 'I was hoping for someone, well, _more_...' The tittering turned to obnoxious chuckling from the Death Eaters and Harry grinded his teeth at the sound. '...but I'm sure we can find something for you.' The Dark Lord finished in a mocking tone and whoever it was growled slightly, evidently enraged by the Dark Lord's words.

'I'll join you when Hell freezes over!' The mystery person spat and Harry almost opened his eyes in shock at the fact it was Neville. Harry had always known Neville was brave; he was a Gryffindor after all, but this? This was something else entirely. 'DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!' He shouted and the answering cheer was so loud that even the Dark Lord's silencing charms were unable to hold the sound. Harry tried not to smirk as he imagined the Dark Lord's face at this.

'Very well.' The Dark Lord said in a dangerously silky, clipped voice. Harry gulped, fearing for his friend's life as his hands finally reached his pocket. 'If that is your choice, then so be it. Do not say I wasn't merciful.' Harry opened the holster, slowly stroking the familiar metal that was warm from the heat of his body. He took a deep breath as he prepared.

As the Dark Lord moved to cast a fatal curse, Harry rolled. He pulled out his black pistol, landed, aimed and fired in one smooth, practised motion. The whole thing had taken a matter of seconds, from the crouched landing to the shooting. You see, in all his "Muggle" hatred, the Dark Lord had overlooked and underestimated the mundane weapons. And it was those weapons that Dumbledore and Harry believed were the powers the "power the Dark Lord knows not". So Harry had acquired one and practised until he was a master marksman, and until the Dark Lord was a mortal.

The Dark Lord crumpled to the floor as the shot rang out. Because, for all of his speed, cunning, powerful spells and non-verbal casting; a spell cannot beat a speeding bullet. Ever. Bothe sides watched in shock as Harry shot a few more bullets into the bastards head so that this time he stayed dead.

Ron and Hermione ran up to Harry and patted his back.

'Good shot mate!' Ron said in a low voice, grinning widely. Hermione could only nod in agreement as she gave Harry a bone-crushing hug, crying all the while. Harry extracted himself from her and smiled at the crowd who eyed the gun he was twirling in his hand warily.

'Well. I guess the mundane's aren't as stupid, nor as defenceless as we like to think. Because this-' Harry held the gun up, smirking as the Death Eaters took a step back, staring in fearing. At the same time, the Army of Light looked awe. '-clearly beats magic hands down.' Harry said in a loud voice as he put the gun back inside its holster.

Just then the Aurors started to apparate in through the broken wards of Hogwarts and stared in disbelief at the Dark Lord's limp body on the floor.

'What happened?!' One of them asked. Harry smile, causally putting his hands in his jean pockets.

'Seems like I've done it again.'

* * *

**Look at that, my first one-shot ever. Well, anyone who may read this, I hope you enjoyed it or it amused you.**

**Ki**


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